CANUCKS ARMY GDT# 38 – CANUCKS @ OILERS
By Always90four
7 years ago
Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin – USA TODAY Sports
Holiday Cheers! Holiday Savings!
The Canucks are the 3rd hottest team in the NHL right now after a sizzling 3-2 OT winner against the Ducks last night (Blue Jackets and Wild are the other two but you knew that). The Oilers are coming off a big win against Milan Lucic’s old team, the Kings. It has the makings of a championship bout after the undercard is played (again, Jackets and Wild).
I can’t think of a better way to finish off 2016 but to read this action packed GDT and watch said game it is about. It’s not the Flyers and I doubt the Canucks lose 8-0. The Canucks DO have to fly to Edmonton for this one so there’s a chance the first period goes poorly because of the shock of being in Edmonton.
Go Canucks Go!
BROADCAST INFO
TV: CBC (HNIC GAME 2)
RADIO: TSN 1040
PUCK DROP: 7:00PM
LINE COMBOS
Can’t imagine any changes to the lineup for tonight. How do you mess with an absolutely perfect performance against the Ducks last night? I would start with the 1/7 power play and putting Loui Eriksson with the Sedins but no one asked me personally.
Jacob Markstrom gets the nod this evening. He’s waited patiently so I’m sure he’ll be amped to stop the pucks.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Daniel Sedin |  Henrik Sedin |  Jayson Megna |
 Loui Eriksson |  Brandon Sutter |  Markus Granlund |
 Sven Baertschi |  Bo Horvat |  Alexandre Burrows |
 Brendan Gaunce |  Michael Chaput |  Jack Skille |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Alexander Edler |  Troy Stecher |
 Luca Sbisa |  Chris Tanev |
 Ben Hutton |  Nikita Tryamkin |
They have been promoting this Connor McDavid kid and I hear good things. Un-Canuck Milan Lucic is his Dave Semenko and the pattern in his last 5 games suggests Lucic is shutout. There are a lot of names on this Oilers team I can’t pronounce so maybe just read who they have and we’ll both nod in agreement.
The Oilers have also recalled Jordan Oesterle, plot twist.
Cam Talbot looks like he is the starter tonight. The Edmonton Journal is pretty confident you can’t miss with this guy.
Edmonton Oilers lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Milan Lucic |  Connor McDavid |  Jordan Eberle |
 Patrick Maroon |  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins |  Leon Draisaitl |
 Benoit Pouliot |  Drake Caggiula |  Jesse Puljujarvi |
 Matt Hendricks |  Mark Letestu |  Zack Kassian |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Oscar Klefbom |  Adam Larsson |
 Kris Russell |  Matt Benning |
 Brandon Davidson |  Eric Gryba |
GAME NOTES, STATS AND OTHER INTERESTING INFO
- Vancouver hasn’t played on New Year’s Eve since 2011, the time before that was in 2010. The Canucks split those contests by the same score of 4-1, with the Kings winning in 2011 and Vancouver beating the Stars in 2010 (Cory Schneider was a monster in that one.) That score has been pretty popular this season for the Canucks so you should count on it being tonight’s final result, either way.
- Bo Horvat is looking more and more like the player he will become. His little pass to himself off the net last night set up the Jack Skille goal and his drive to the puck every play paints him as our next superstar. It could be the Horvat/McDavid show tonight.
- No one will be happier to see December end than Jacob Markstrom. He has one win against the Jets. In those losses, he’s averaged 2.4 GA/GM. You better wish for that 4 goal performance from the Canucks because it looks like we’ll see at least 2 goals against.
- Ben Hutton has an assist in his last 2 games, this is fact. Does anyone remember when he cut the mullet? I feel like that was his reverse Samson moment and he could be in line for a plethora of points.
- Jack Skille has been a competitor this season. He isn’t blowing the doors off the building or anything but he seems to show up when the top lines fade out. He isn’t a terrible player and the Canucks may have found a 4th line staple for years to come.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
From OilersNation.com
Since 2006, the Oilers have been poor every night of the week, but Saturday—and national television—have offered their own special funk for the town team. I don’t have to look up the record to know it, because Saturday night HNIC has been special for me since the 1960s.The Oilers are exorcising demons all over hell’s half acre this season, on their way to a truly respectable record. Please, baby Jesus New Year baby baby, let this night be the beginning of a new dawn, a new day, get us feeling good for Saturdays to come. Amen, hallelujah, amen.
How can you disagree? This is Canada’s team, right?
MY TAKE
Canucks win to finish out a horrendous 2016, I get to eat wings and shoot fireworks tonight, maybe don’t watch the Canucks game and see what kind of shenanigans I get up to.
WILL 2017 TROLL THE CANUCKS LIKE 2016 DID?
I think so. Not much has changed. I suppose Jim Benning could make a big trade and a free agent sees it and wants to sign here and some kind of chain reaction happens but I’m guessing they just lose some more games.
Recent articles from Always90four
